Tungsten heavy alloys are that class of two phase multicomponent tungsten alloys containing tungsten and at least one other metal component such as, nickel, iron or copper. These alloys are defined in the Metals Handbook. Ninth Edition, Vol. 7. ASM, Metal Park, Ohio 44073. One phase in such alloys is essentially tungsten and the other phase is a solid-solution of tungsten and the other metal component.
Tungsten heavy alloy structures heretofore have been produced by liquid phase sintering of pressed powders. The liquid phase sintering process creates a very homogenous microstructure, however, the size of the tungsten grains grow from about 5 micrometers to over about 30 micrometers during the sintering process. If consolidation processes other than liquid phase sintering are used to achieve final densification, the microstructures have generally been insufficiently homogeneous to yield satisfactory mechanical properties unless certain additional working steps are taken to improve the mechanical properties of the consolidated billet.
It is believed that a relatively simple process which enables tungsten heavy alloy powders consisting essentially of tungsten and a second metal selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, copper and mixtures thereof wherein the powder particles consisting essentially of a discontinuous tungsten phase relatively uniformly distributed in a matrix of tungsten and the second metal to be produced from sources of the individual metals without excessive tungsten grain growth would be an advancement in the art.